Buoyancy-tank.



A. EHINGER.

I BUOYANUY TANK. APPLIUATIONIILED MAR 28, 1912.

1 081 103 v Patented Dec.9,1913.

WITNESSES V M fi I Fr nil oar INVENTOR )h f M M 7m the :11":

ADOLPHE EHIENGEFE,

Applicoition filed March 19153.

gpecificatioii of Letters Patent,

fii niienleii lime 9, hi3

To (ZZZ whom. 2'! may concern:

lie it known '(hei, l, .ioownn lCIiiIHn-ii ZlJ lQCl of ihe Emperor of (iei'n'mny, and a ent il the cily of New York,horongh ii iiimilnitlmnin lhe eonniy :nnl @l'aie of Jen "i oih, have llllkilltll a new and inn ed ill;oyzincy 'lanh, of which the fol-- "11g is; e 'Fnlh elem, 21ml exact descripi a lways insii'le of ihe Uni-z, so him? it is i: inmi iihle For i? tank lo he crushed under any comh i'xions that :ii'e met with in przicliee.

lie 'ercnce is to be hmi to "the accompany drawings iomninr e pziit of l'his speeiii ntion, in which the some (illflliiltldlS of rol ei'ence inilivzlc the some pails; in ziii i hc views.

Figure l. is a perspective View partly hi'ohen away showing my improved tool: and the inieifioi' comirnciiion oi. the name; Fig. 1% 2i \lf'ilfll longitudinal oeciiongil View shonin one ile oi the iniei'ii'in of ithe innit; lhiioiigfh ll Mink, iahon'n he oihei llli3 of the some; :nnll i I sectional YlW on the line -l.--i of lug. iooh ng in lhe direction 01'.

lily iinpi'oi'i-il iflillf ()illPilSOfi ii body l, preferably cylindrical in shape, to which are iiii'ml conical ends 2. The ends 2 are of course wield-cred to the body l, so as to make lhc joint connectinfe the eni'ls 2 in place ifeierzihlv :iiiand \Ynlor-tighl: mnl on the outside of the funk iii-e rim-med rings 3, by means of incinl fiifilpls' a l which are fastened in "niece h means of rive-is o l; is :in ordinary rli'nin coeh, and l is :1 in'w oi ii-ojection placed on ihe bottom of the hody oi the ion]; '1 opposile *che i'li'ain cock 6. This: lJoSS or pi'oji-ci ion is hollow, forming :1 pocket or recess inside the body, zmil secured to the hoily of the tank 1, so no to comnnn'ieiie with the inside of the ionic" thyongh iii'iopening and is connected 'ihe edge oi the opening Ly riveting or soldering, or in any other? manner "that will through the bottom of the body-oi" the tank 1, these conduits serving; to (listiihnte fluid that enters the hoes 7 to the QIHilF; of the tonic so ("13 to enable the some to be filled more rapidly than if all the fluid which eniei-s lhe boss 7 hznl to fill the ixzink l hy pilfw'Slfifi' in'i'o the name through the aperture in the hollom of the tank which .ionns the open inner eml oi this ho s projection.

Zlhe numeral 9' iepi'isaenis the encl oi a bent project into the hose '2' anal heingz; opim Lil" its 1 end. To the end. i) is I1ii{(l((l 2i sect 10 which enteinls longiimlinail oi the inli and may he seemed lo i'he inner surface thereof. @on'nnnnicei; inc with the impositeend of the section 10 is another ooetion ll which extends irons \eiwly oi the tank' and is substantially at. i'ighh es: to both ihe sections 9 and 10. the mixer end of the section 11 is con- 110(ltll H7 iuhuhu' s'seclionJQ which extends piii'zllicl lo l'he sec-lion l0 and past the end of ihe some joined to The scciion 9, this section 12 in eil'cctx enieniiing both Ways past ihe hosi wi'. ll eonnnnnicates at its opposite einl n'iih luhnhii' section it, which is submnnliully parallel to the section "ll, and lolzhe opposite (nil in the connecting section 13 is semnei'l a tubular section M, parallel "with ihe secliona if; and i2, and of sitihsiinnilially (he some lencjih no the section 16; that is, the other eml of ihe sceliion l-l will lie in about; he mine irzinsvei'si'e plane as the e nl 9. Joined lo'ihe tnhnho: section is a section which extends from the boss 7 to wan-(l the iii: 'n cock 6, and coinnn'inicates "with :i seci'ion 18, which leads outward lln'ough an apeinn'e 01' poi-r 1?. The bent pipe made up of hhe end 9 21ml the sections 10 to H3 inclusive llHlF-E establishes communic: lion holwcen the inside of the boss 7 and innl; '1, and the outside of the some, and the object oi this hem; pipe is to permit the tank to he fillod with water when it is sunk iii be attached to the Wreck that is lo he mined.

The numeral 18 represents a Pomhiii' which leznls lo the simle of the holly oi the using 1 adjacent l'hc (h'oin cock (3, and the outer cool of ihisconihiiii is open to receive the eml oi a: eonclnit 1i 9 through which air "on he pumped into the-tool: "l. inside of the tank 1 the l inside of the boss nally in the opposite direction,

pumped it is bent as shown at 21 to extend again to-' ward the boss 7, and this section 21 is secured to the inside of the tank bymeans of a strap 22. At the end of the section 21 which is near" :t to the boss 7 the conduit 18 is bent toward its point of entry, as shown at 23, and then is again bent toward the y pumping out the water by the force of theboss 7 as shown at 24:. Adjacent the edge of the boss 7 this conduit is bent longitudinally, as shown at 25, and then longitudi- 26 extending substantially the aperture leading to the 7, and the length of the conduit 18 beyond the section 26 is returned on itself so as to extend in the same direction as the section 25, and then is bent down Ward, as shown at 27, into the boss, and then upward as shown at 28, reference being had to Fig. 2. The end 28 is of course open.

Expressed in another way, the air supply 26, this section along the edge of pipe within the tank 1 is composed of two parts, the first consisting of the portions 20, 21, 23 and2 l, forming oppositely-disposed connected S-shaped sections constituting a compound coil extending approximately transversely to the axis of the tank, and the second part consisting of the pornoises, 26, 27 and 28, forming an S-shaped section disposed approximately parallel to the axis of the tank and extending to opposite'sides of the boss 7.

In practice, the tanks are utilized by hav ing them secured in place under the water to the wrecks that are to be raised by the divers. When the tank is sunk it is con-" nected up to the air pumping apparatus, but no air is pumped into the same at this time. Instead the drain cock 6 will be opened and water will fiow into the interior of the tank through the port 17 and pipe connected thereto and terminating in the end 9 and the boss 7 so that the interior of the tank is filled with water, any air that may be trapped therein passing out through the drain cock 6, as will be readily understood. In this condition the tankcan be sunk to any depth, because the internal and external pressure of the water is balanced and there is no crushing stress exerted on the walls of the tank. When the diver reaches the wreck he fastens the rings 3 to the hulk thereof, preferably in horizontal position. Nhen the raising operations are to begin the drain cocks must be shut, and this is attended to by the diver after he fastens the tanks in place. Air is now down through the conduit 19 and into the conduit 18, and this air will be discharged into the boss .7 and pass through the open inner end of the same and the ionas shown at i 1 is connected in position by means of the rings 3, it will nbrmally remain in such position that the boss '7 will be below the same, and, if necessary, the diver .may-ho-ldit in such relation when the pumping operations forced drain cock 6 first being closed, the water gitudinal conduits 8, and force the Water in the tank out through'the port 17. These tanks can of course be made of any required size, and it is only necessary to connect a sufiicient number of them to a sunken wreck to raise the same to the surface.

The longitudinal conduits 8 which are connected to the sides of the boss 7 enable the water and air when they enter the tank a 1 to be more readily distributed, and the operation of filling the tank with water or incoming air can therefore be more readily and easily effected.

It will be understood that, when thetank begin. As soon as the air begins to be down through the conduit 18, the

inside of the tanks begins to flow out through the water port 17, and the air of course rises to the top of the tank. The water in the tank then acts as ballast to keep the same from revolving around on its side until all of the water in the tank has been discharged;

Nhen the tank 1 has once been filled with air it makes no difference what position it may assume, because of the manner in which the pipe terminating in the end 9 and leading to the water" port 17 is bent. In other words, so long as the drain cock remains closed and the airis not cut oli from the conduit 18, no water cah liow back into the tank. If the tank remains horizontal, with the boss 7 lowermost, of course the pressure of the air inside of the same will be exerted upon the surface of the water in the boss 7, as long as the level of the water in this boss remams gust about at the end of the pipe 9. Should it turn 'nto vertical position, with either end uppel most, the air pressure will be exerted down upon the surface of the water in the section 10 or the section 14, as the case may be, to check the inflow. Or

should, for any reason, it be turned so that the section 15, the slant of the section 15 being made suilicient for this purpose; and should the tank ever cometo such a position that the drain cock 6 would point downward and the boss 7 upward, water would in this till claim as new and desire to roemoe:

case also be prevented from entering. This feature of my invention is very important, as sunken hullis do not always remain on an even keel when they are raised, but may roll to some extent. ltis ojt course unlikely that they will ever roll so as toniove the tanks into all. or any one of the extreme positions which I have mentioned. Consequently, the tank l have devised never becomes re-tilled with water when the water hos once heen pumped on; of the some, so as to cause the vessel to sink to the bottom otter the reisi ug operations have been begun, unde any conditions met with in actual practice.

From the manner in which the conduit 18 bent on the inside of the tankfil, it will be econ that similar effects are secured. When the tank is being sunk down to be put in position by the diver, no matter in what position he may take the some, that is, whether .ie takes it vertically with either end upward, or horizontally, with any part of the tank facing downward, there will elways he a certain length of that portion of the conduit 18 which is inside of the tank through which the water must pass in an upward direction to till this conduit. In such a section it will be subjected to a downard action of the air PIQSSUI'Q and stopped, end it will be understood that this result will follow for any depth.

From the above description it will be seen th: t l have devised an improvement in buoyancy tanks which is eziccedingl simple in its construction and therefore can be readil and cheaply made, and which is also exceec ingly etlicient in use' lVhen being taken down to be attached to a wreck by a diver, the water inside. of the tank balances the pressure of the water outside of the tank, and no crushing stress is exerted at any time upon the device. Furthermore, when the water in the tank is pumped out or forced out by the pressure of the incoming air, this air pressure performs the some function as the water it is displacing, namely, it balances the external pressure on the :mteide of the tank and eliminates the crushing force of the water just as el'lfecti'vely.

My buoyancy tank can be used of course with submarine boats on account of the (52 with which the some can be tilled with water and emptied. lhulcr: any coudit' ms of work i can either discharge the o' tirely therefrom or only in pert. way i ran regz'ulute lhelnioyunt eii cct of my invention so as to be able to keep eulr marine boat in a. condition of stable r-quililr riuin at any. depth when my tanks used .l'or sohn'mrine navigation.

llaving thus described my invention, l:

secure tr liot tors Patent:

.1. A. buoyancy tank mororuung; a hollow body, said body having a hollow hose projecting" hie ily therelrom anda conduit leading thro l the wall ol said body, said conduit her. returned upon itself for it short dis ance inside oi the bod and then being bent to extend in a direction opposite to the return portion and toward eaid boss, said conduit then being bent toward the "point of on :ance and then in the opposite direction toward said boss :1 second time, and then toward first: one. end of said tank and then her and then being bent down enter ih: lltt'lm of the boss, and finally being loent s to he returned upon said lestmmuod lr ortion and present its open inner end to" urd where the same enters the body.

2. A buoyancy tank conn risine; a hollow body hariin, a llt'lllOW boss extending laterally from one tide, said body having an aperture the-1, hrough, and e. pipe leading from said uture, said pipe extending away from the interior surface of the tank and then tiling toward said. interior surface, and c n extending firsttoumrd one end of" the t: 2 and then toward the other end, ai u section which. extends to the opei. nd of the boss, said. oppositel viections and said last-named seetit .unceted hy transversely-m;- tenchn and the lllFt-Illllllfld section having bottom. of? 3. ll t end extending; toward the and having it recess. U

4t. A. buoyancy tank comprising a. hollow bod r havinn u n? thereof, :2 11d 1 internal recess in the Well a conduit leadiug' through the wall (it se'l body, said conduit being returned one! to 2. short distance inside or? the extend. in portion duit the Efllllftl'lt hotly, and then being; bent to direction opposite. the return d toward seid said cong bent toward the point of then in the opposite direcion towa :uid recees a. second time, and then first toward one end ol said tanh; and

then the other, and then being bent to enter the 'XGCLET" and finally heiu bent so us to he returned upon said he named bent i1iorlion. and nt its open. inner end toward the point r e the some thev body.

5. A hr o tank couipris' a hollow uit leading into tank and body, a con terminating adjacent the bottom thereof, said conduit having its upper portion formed into a compound coil extending transverse to the axis of the tank and consisting of oppositelyclisposecl connected 8- shaped portions, and the lower portion of the condui being formed into acoil extencling approximately parallel with the axis of the tank, and means through which the contents of the tank discharges when fluid memos pound coil extending approximately transverse to the axis of the tank and. consisting of oppositely-disposer"! connected $-shaped portions, and the lo'wer portion of the conduit being formed into a coil extenriing approximately parailel with the axis of the tank, and means through which the con; tents of the tank discharges when fluid pressureis supplied to the tank through said conduit, said means extending to opposite sides of the said recess.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesse ADOLPHE EHINGER.

Vitnesses:

WILLI M F, NIGEL, Pnlnrr D. RoLLHAUs.

Copies of this stem), may be obtained for five cents each h addressin the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D C. 

